A Hero for his country

Army Sgt. Adam Kennedy, a rock climbing enthusiast and Norwich University graduate who began his first tour of duty in Iraq last fall, was killed by a blast from an improvised explosive device south of Baghdad.

Kennedy, 25, was killed Sunday when his unit was hit with indirect fire while conducting combat control near Diwaniyah, Iraq,
Kennedy, 25, served in the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division based in Fort Richardson and was sent to his tour in Iraq.
"His lifelong ambition was to be in the military," his father said. "He really loved the discipline, and the physical conditioning."
Kennedy's unit provided security for an Army colonel, clearing hidden explosives and otherwise ensuring safe passage for convoys. The work frequently put Kennedy's unit in danger - a reality that became clear to his family when he returned for a 10-day leave late last year.
Despite the risks, Kennedy in December made a commitment to remain with the Army for another six years, his father said.
Kennedy, who was single, graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood in 2000. He graduated from Norwich University, a private military college in Northfield, Vt., in 2004, majoring in computer science, according to a statement from the university.
At Norwich, he spent time away from his studies rock-climbing in the Green Mountains, and participated in a cold weather rescue team, his parents said.
Although he had little background as a runner, he last year finished a marathon during a break from military training in Alaska.
"He ran a respectable time his first time out," his father said.
Arrangements for a funeral in Norfolk were pending.

A Hero to remember

Jon-Erik Loney, who was a specialist in the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry, drove a Bradley fighting vehicle.

A roadside bomb killed Loney, a 2003 Danville High graduate, in Iraq on Tuesday. He was 21.

Loney was the 2,881st soldier killed since the Iraq war began in March 2003. Two more American soldiers died that day.

The grandfather said Loney enjoyed being in the military and that he and his wife supported him 100 percent.
"The military was the thing he wanted to do," Allen Kaylor said. "He was an all-around great kid. He's going to be dearly missed."

One of the HERO officers

Samuel B. Ringgold (1796 – May 11, 1846) was an artillery officer in the United States Army who was noted for several military innovations which caused him to be called the "Father of Modern Artillery." He was also, famously, the first U.S. officer to fall in the Mexican-American War, perishing from wounds inflicted during the Battle of Palo Alto.
Ringgold was the son of Samuel Ringgold, a U.S. Congressman from Maryland. A younger brother, Cadwallader Ringgold, also served in the military, becoming a rear admiral.
On July 24, 1818, Samuel Ringgold graduated 5th in a class of 23 from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Artillery.[1]
In the early 1820s, Ringgold was on the staff of General Winfield Scott. At about that time, (roughly 1825) John Vanderlyn, then working in New York City, painted Ringgold's portrait.
Ringgold's significant military innovations included the McClellan military saddle and artillery techniques. Based on his research in Europe, he rewrote the Army's manual for artillery, which included the tactical concept of flying artillery -- employing artillery pieces that could be moved quickly from place to place.[1] The Army adapted his manual, "Instructions for Field Artillery" on March 6, 1845, and he was promoted to the rank of Major in acknowledgement[1] of his military innovations.
Ringgold served in General Zachary Taylor's occupation force in Texas as a Major of Artillery. On May 8, 1846, as he and 2,400 troops were en route to Fort Texas, they were engaged at the Battle of Palo Alto by Mexican General Mariano Arista and his force of 3,800 men.
Arista's army was stretched a mile wide, making an American bayonet charge, Taylor's first option, impossible. Taylor, in an unlikely move, advanced his artillery to attack the enemy. The use of Ringgold's flying artillery tactic won the battle for the Americans. The Mexican artillery, heavy and slow, was futile in the thick steel-wool brush at Palo Alto. Arista ordered cavalry charges to flank the artillery gunners, but the American flying artillery was able to mobilize, relocate, and repel the oncoming dragoons.
Ringgold was mortally wounded, but refused to leave the field during the battle. He survived three days, during which time he debriefed on the battle, before dying in Point Isabel, Texas.